The Ethiopian lowlands support a great diversity of livestock production systems. These systems are fundamentally defined by interactions of rainfall and topography. This chapter reviews the Ethiopian lowlands in a national and regional context, including abiotic features, vegetation, populations of people and livestock and contributions of lowlands livestock to the national economy.
Commercialisation of the livestock sector has been a prominent development strategy for Ethiopia. A series of livestock development projects that date from 1965 are highlighted in terms of their history, objectives, successes and problems. In aggregate, these projects have attempted to foster more integration among highland and lowland production systems as elements of livestock demand and supply, respectively. Special attention is given to the Southern Rangelands Development Unit (SORDU), which has been the primary development agent in the Borana pastoral system. Finally, a synopsis is presented that outlines experiences resulting from collaboration of research and development organizations in SORDU during 1985-90.
